Mythology & Poetry Test

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Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Critical Reading
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.

Where does the speaker in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” halt his horse?

a.	by a farmhouse
b.	on a dirt road
c.	in the village
d.	by the woods

What is the best paraphrase of these lines from “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”?

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, / But I have promises to keep

a.	I would like to stay, but I have too many other responsibilities.
b.	I made a promise that I would not take the road past the woods.
c.	The woods are beautiful, but they are owned by someone else.
d.	The woods are beautiful, but my horse is tired and hungry.

On a symbolic level, what does the speaker in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” mean when he says, “And miles to go before I sleep”?

a.	He has a long way to go before he can go to bed.
b.	He has much to do before the end of his life.
c.	He is too far from home to get much sleep that night.
d.	He hopes he will not fall asleep on his way home.

What is the speaker in “I'm Nobody” saying?

a.	She thinks that frogs need to be protected.
b.	She believes that bogs are noisy places.
c.	She wants to remain hidden and unknown.
d.	She cannot be heard when she speaks in public.

The speaker in “I'm Nobody” regards fame as

a.	a good thing.
b.	the American dream.
c.	a bad thing.
d.	a reward for hard work.

What happens to Loo-Wit while she is sleeping?

a.	The world forgets about her.
b.	Other volcanoes erupt.
c.	She loses the power to erupt.
d.	Cedar trees grow on her.

How long has it been since “Loo-Wit” last erupted?

a.	one night
b.	a woman's lifetime
c.	hundreds of years
d.	several days

In “Demeter and Persephone,” which natural occurrence is most likely being referred to by the fire-breathing giants heaving and struggling beneath Mt. Aetna?

a.	a tornado
b.	an avalanche
c.	an earthquake
d.	a volcano

What is Demeter's response to the disappearance of her daughter in “Demeter and Persephone”?

a.	She travels to the underworld.
b.	She punishes the innocent land.
c.	She pleads with Zeus.
d.	She punishes Eros.

10.

In “Demeter and Persephone,” why does Zeus intervene to return Persephone to her mother?

a.	He wants Demeter to stop crying.
b.	He wants Pluto to marry someone else.
c.	He wants to save the human race.
d.	He wants to punish Eros.

11.

What action by Persephone affects her stay on earth in “Demeter and Persephone”?

a.	She has eaten food in the underworld.
b.	She has worn jewels in the underworld.
c.	She has talked about the underworld.
d.	She has defied Pluto's wishes.

12.

When Persephone returns to earth in “Demeter and Persephone,” Pluto is described as having “a heavy heart.” What is meant by that description?

a.	He has heart disease.
b.	He is serious.
c.	He is sad.
d.	He is ill.

13.

What natural occurrence is explained by Persephone's return to earth?

a.	the change of the seasons
b.	the melting of the snow
c.	the distinction between night and day
d.	the passage of time during the year

14.

In “Icarus and Daedalus,” what inspires Daedalus to build the device that will allow him to leave Crete?

a.	the Labyrinth he built for King Minos
b.	the tower in which he was imprisoned
c.	the wax from the candles in his cell
d.	the sea-gulls he sees in the sky

15.

In “Icarus and Daedalus,” about what two things does Daedalus warn Icarus when they are about to take flight?

a.	the labyrinth and the king
b.	the fog and the sun's heat
c.	the island and the prison guards
d.	the tower and the wind currents

16.

What do people think when they see Daedalus and Icarus in the sky?

a.	They are birds.
b.	They are gods.
c.	They are prisoners.
d.	They are airplanes.

17.

As Icarus flies closer to the sun, what is the cause of the disaster that befalls him?

a.	The light of the sun blinds him.
b.	The heat of the sun burns him.
c.	The height of his flight exhausts him.
d.	The heat of the sun melts his wings.

18.

According to “Perseus,” why does King Acrisius lock his daughter and grandson in a wooden chest and throw them into the sea?

a.	The king is jealous of his grandson's strength and good looks.
b.	An oracle has told the king his grandson would kill him.
c.	The king wanted a son and not a daughter.
d.	His grandson is the son of Zeus, whom he dislikes.

19.

Why does Polydectes ask Perseus to bring him the head of Medusa?

a.	He knows that Perseus is brave enough to kill the terrible monster.
b.	He wants to reward Perseus but wants Perseus to prove himself first.
c.	He wants Perseus to die and expects that the monster will kill him.
d.	He hopes Perseus will refuse to kill the monster and look like a coward.

20.

Why must Perseus go to see the Gray Women?

a.	to find out where the nymphs of the North live
b.	to steal their eye and use it to look at the Gorgon
c.	to get the winged sandals, magic wallet, and cap of invisibility
d.	to find out the secret of how to kill the Gorgons

21.

According to “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl,” Ixtla studies hard in order to succeed her father. That information suggests that Ixtla is

a.	dutiful.
b.	reluctant.
c.	friendly.
d.	romantic.

22.

According to “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl,” what causes the warriors to lie about Popo's death?

a.	ignorance
b.	jealousy
c.	pride
d.	fear

23.

Based on “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl,” what can you conclude about the Emperor when he believes the warriors' lies about Popo?

a.	He does not want Ixtla to marry Popo.
b.	He is naive and too quick to trust.
c.	He is too sorrowful to think sensibly.
d.	He does not want Ixtla to marry at all.

24.

At the end of “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl,” what do the two volcanoes symbolize?

a.	temples
b.	lovers
c.	burial mounds
d.	buried cities

25.

Which statement best reflects the conclusion of “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl”?

a.	There can be no revenge.
b.	Ambition is its own reward.
c.	True love outlasts death.
d.	War breeds only war.

26.

Which element of “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl” is most obviously based on fact?

a.	the volcanoes
b.	the Emperor
c.	Popo and Ixtla
d.	the warriors

27.

In what way is “Popocatepetl and Ixtlaccihuatl” characteristic of a legend?

a.	It is a fantastic narrative about someone's ancestors.
b.	It is a narrative about larger-than-life human beings.
c.	It is a narrative featuring animal characters.
d.	It is a factual narrative about the past.

28.

What does Sam McGee mean when he says that he would “sooner live in hell”?

a.	He thinks that living in the Arctic is like living in hell.
b.	He would rather be in hell than feel cold all the time.
c.	He thinks that living in Tennessee is like living in hell.
d.	He believes that he will soon be living in hell.

29.

Why is the setting of “The Cremation of Sam McGee” important to the poem's conflict?

a.	It brings the two characters together.
b.	It is beyond the experience of most readers.
c.	It creates the conflict by causing Sam's death.
d.	It creates the conflict by causing Sam to go insane.

30.

What does Sam McGee tell the speaker before the men go to sleep on Christmas night?

a.	He is returning to Tennessee.
b.	He has discovered gold.
c.	He will die soon.
d.	He is very hungry.